LUTH lab gets ISO accreditation

Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) is the first government institution to be issued an ISO 15189 as an accredited laboratory through its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme.

This, its Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Akin Osibogun, said is a major milestone in the history of PPP in the Health sector in Nigeria.

He spoke while receiving certificate of international accreditation from the Chairman of PathCare Laboratories, Prof Prof Ibironke Akinsete.

He said the hospital was at the forefront of the containment of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as it was the first Virology Laboratory in Nigeria to provide testing for the deadly virus.

Professor Osibogun said PPP, which was approved by the former Minister of Health, Prof Babatunde Oshitimehin in 2009, contributed towards achieving the accreditation.

Prof Akinsete said: “Starting was not easy because many people did not buy into the PPP project, but the board approved it because they were convinced that it was better we had laboratory services in-house to improve patient management as wrong diagnosis and failed treatment was a major issue.”

She said treating people with wrong diagnosis often result in poor health, adding: “We now have direct access to highly specialised testing which has enabled us provide special treatment and improved 24 hour care. Our partnership with PathCare has yielded positive result. This gives credence to the fact that the way forward for health sector in Nigeria is PPP.”

Prof Akinsete congratulated LUTH for being the first teaching hospital running a successful ISO accredited laboratory.

She said it was very challenging starting the laboratories in the hospital.

“Presently, our laboratories in Lagos and Abuja are ISO accredited and LUTH laboratory has now become the newest with this international status.